. . . [a] miraculous 1965 recording . . . Decca-London had the brightest star in the operatic firmament, soprano Elena Souliotis . . . to sing the incredibly important and demanding role of Abigaille, as wlil as the . . . star baritone Tito Gobbi to sing the title role . . . quality and dedication of the highly skilled professionals . . . As it turned out, everyone -- but especially Souliotis and Gobbi -- really outdid themselves for this recording . . . [Bruno Brevedi] gave 100 percent and sang extremely well . . . [Carlo Cava] excelled in the important but sometimes ungrateful role of Zaccaria . . . this performance of "Nabucco" clicked on all cylinders. Every scene, despite the clinical sterility of studio sound, had the feel of a real performance . . . Gardelli's rendition of the beautiful chorus "Va, pensiero" was magical . . . we have that absolute rarity, a studio recording that has the energy and excitement of a live performance. In addition, it captures one of the brightest meteors to soar across the operatic firmament while white hot. If that doesn't qualify as a legendary recording, then the phrase has no meaning. Plus, it sells for less than $20. How could you possibly go wrong?